HONOLULU –The nominating committee to the State Commission on Water Resource Management will meet at 8 a.m. on Wednesday, March 5, at the Kalanimoku State Office building, located at 1151 Punchbowl Street, Room 227, to review personnel applications to fill a vacant seat on the State Water Commission. The selected nominee will serve a four-year term beginning July 1, 2014.

HILO -- Amateurs and professional lei artists of all ages are invited to demonstrate their lei-making skills in Kauluwehi 2014, a juried lei art contest and exhibition celebrating the native species, Hawaiian culture and sustainable picking practices on Hawaii Island.

HONOLULU —An Ewa fisherman was found guilty of violating state laynet fishing rules and fined $500 in Ewa District Court on Feb. 19, 2014.
Allen Zamora was cited by the Department of Land and Natural Resources (DLNR) Division of Conservation and Resources Enforcement (DOCARE) for possession of illegal lay nets in the Waikele Stream-West Loch area on Dec. 14, 2013.

LIHU‘E -- The Department of Land and Natural Resources (DLNR) Division of Forestry and Wildlife (DOFAW) is inviting Kaua‘i residents to submit applications for positions on a community council to advise the DOFAW Na Ala Hele Trails and Access Program.

HONOLULU – The Department of Land and Natural Resources (DLNR) Division of State Parks in partnership with PBR HAWAII, invites the public to informational meetings about the 2014 Statewide Comprehensive Outdoor Recreation Plan (SCORP).

HONOLULU – More than 140,000 acres of forest lands in Hawaii are now being managed to conserve Hawaii’s forests thanks to funding provided by Governor Abercrombie’s “The Rain Follows the Forest” Watershed Initiative. That number will increase to more than 480,000 acres by the time projects currently funded are completed. The administration’s goal, announced in 2011, is to double the acreage of protected watershed forests in a decade.

HONOLULU – Navigating a complicated and time-consuming regulatory path for restoration of traditional fishpond systems in Hawai‘i should soon become more efficient and manageable, thanks to a proposed statewide programmatic general permit process. Statewide public hearings on this proposed process are being held to gather input.

HONOLULU – The Department of Land and Natural Resources (DLNR) Division of State Parks has entered into a pilot agreement with Discover Hidden Hawai‘i Tours (DHT) to make available for public use the historic Nutridge House property on the grounds of Pu‘u ‘Ualaka‘a State Wayside, which is located off Round Top Drive and overlooks urban Honolulu in Makiki. Rental availability for functions will help to generate funds to benefit the continued maintenance and preservation of the historic site.

HONOLULU –The Hawai‘i Department of Land and Natural Resources (DLNR) and NOAA’s National Marine Fisheries Service (NOAA Fisheries) are advising people to be “dolphin smart.”To avoid potential harassment of spinner dolphins, ocean and beach goers should keep the recommended distance of 150 feet (50 yards) when observing dolphins in the wild. Hawaiian spinner dolphins move near shore into bays and coves during the day to rest, care for their young, and avoid predators. During this time it is important not to disturb them as these activities are critical to their survival. At night they move offshore to feed.

HONOLULU –As a four-person delegation representing the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) visits Hawaii this week, the state is showcasing its position as the anchor of the Pacific in a bid to host the 2016 IUCN World Conservation Congress. The congress is the world’s leading summit on the environment.